SEVEN THINGS THE LORD HATES

Proverbs 6:16-19 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethern.

Hate is the opposite of love. Hate is to have a strong dislike for a thing. It can even be as strong as loathing, despising or detesting. Most of the time we think of God as a loving God. God is also a hating God. God hates many things. In this passage we are told of seven things that God hates.

1) God hates a proud look. In some instances a person that is proud, or has pride, is spoken of in a positive way. In this reference, it is spoken of as something that is evil.James wrote, in chapter 4, verse 6,that God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Then pride, in this rendering, is the opposite of humbleness. A proud look is a haughty look; an exalted look; a look that implies self-pride and a "holier than thou" attitude. Have you ever observed a person that thought they were better than others? Read about the self-righteous Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14. This is a perfect example one having a proud look - a characteristic that God hates.

2) God hates a lying tongue. If a person unknowingly tells something that is not true, that person isn't necessarily a liar. However, if the person tells something as truth, which they know to be false, that person is a liar. A good example of found in 1 John 2:3-4: And hereby we do know that we know Him (Jesus Christ), if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. Another example of a liar is found in I John 4:20: If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

3) God hates hands that shed innocent blood. The taking of an innocent life by another, God hates. Murder proceeds from an evil heart. In the Gospel of Matthew we find, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies (Matt. 15:19). People that commit these sins plan them ahead of time - they are premeditated. 1 John 3:15 says, no murderer hath eternal live abiding in him.

4) God hates a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. This is the step that precedes murder, adultery, fornication, theft, etc., as noted above. This is an attempt, in the mind of a person, to deceive or harm another. This evil was committed from the beginning of time. Good examples are the evil imaginations of Eve and Cain. In Genesis 6:5, it says, And God saw that the wickedness of man was great, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

5) God hates feet that are swift in running to mischief. Proverbs 1:10-19 discusses a situation where one is enticed to join with those that lie in wait for victims to rob. Greed is the basis for this sin. The teaching is to refrain from their paths: For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. Those that do not think about the dire consequences of sin are said to run swiftly to them.

6) God hates a false witness that speaketh lies. One of the "ten commandments" says, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (Ex. 20:16). This is another premeditated sin. It is purposefully testifying, as the truth, that which is false, and such false testimonymay result in a person being either falsely convicted a crime they did not commit, ormay result in a person being declared innocent of a crime which they committed.

7) God hates the sowing of discord among brethren. A person guilty of this sin intentionally spreads lies, rumors, and misrepresentations to others in order to persuade them to think evil toward someone else. Such a person is often referred to as a backbiter - one who purposefully and maliciously slanders others in secret in order to harm their reputation.

Reader, take these things to heart. These are sins that God hates. Those that unrepentantly commit such sins shall not escape God's eternal punishment.